Chapter 880: Who Said There Is No Reward?

This trip had been a narrow escape from death.

Yet the punishment was far from over.

The local city god naturally understood the situation in Donglin Ward and had witnessed everything the Badger Demon had done over the years. A lashing from the Soul Whip brought agonizing pain. It was no trivial matter; in years past, many heinous spirits had been whipped until their souls shattered entirely.

By then, the Badger Demon's soul was already showing signs of fracturing. Seeing this, the city god dared not strike again. He ordered the Badger Demon to return and recover, declaring the punishment sufficient and the matter settled.

The Badger Demon refused. He stated outright that he would take every single lash he was owed—not one less!

Faced with such stubbornness, the city god had no choice but to agree. However, he insisted the Badger Demon return later to receive the rest of the punishment. By enduring the lashes little by little, the sentence would eventually be fulfilled.

Besides, Donglin Ward was not what it used to be.

It simply could not function without the Badger Demon watching over it!

The city god had no desire to see demons running rampant, and he did harbor a certain bias toward the badger. Yet, in his eyes, this partiality did not break the rules. The Badger Demon had earned this leniency.

The Fox Demon had gathered a few spirit herbs that nourished the soul and fed them to the Badger Demon. That night, the lingering agony of the Soul Whip flared up, but the Badger Demon merely endured it in silence.

The Fox Demon didn't ask any questions, but watching the badger suffer left him feeling stifled.

"Why must you put yourself through this, my lord? Alas..."

The Badger Demon forced a smile. "The Mortal World has a saying about making up for one's mistakes with good deeds, but karma doesn't work that way. A mistake is a mistake. Merits cannot erase faults. A deserved punishment must be endured. There is a fundamental difference between the two, and that is the rule."

The Fox Demon sighed again and again, utterly helpless.

He understood what the Badger Demon meant, but he still felt it was unjust for his lord to suffer so much.

Demons from the mountains wreaked havoc on the Mortal World everywhere else. Only this place enjoyed peace and prosperity, and wasn't it all thanks to the City God Lord?

"To be punished for your faults without being rewarded for your merits... I simply feel it is unjust, my lord."

The Badger Demon smiled at that. "Who said there is no reward?"

The Fox Demon stared at him, stunned.

The Badger Demon merely shook his head. "But it is not something I can speak of."

Hearing this, the Fox Demon felt a little relieved. "That is good. That is good, then."

"Alright, I am fine. I just need a little rest," the Badger Demon said. "It is getting late. You should go about your duties."

The Fox Demon took his leave. After urging his lord to take care of himself, he stationed a few demons outside the temple to stand guard against any unexpected trouble.

Afterward, the Fox Demon made a trip to the inn.

By now, Miss Yun and the others had already gone to bed for the night.

Chen Changsheng, however, could not sleep. He lay in the rocking chair in his room, gazing at the moon with the Tabby Cat in his arms. The cat, at least, was sleeping soundly.

A short while later, he heard a slight rustling outside.

Chen Changsheng carried Lihua to the bed, tucked the cat under the covers, and went downstairs.

"Greetings, Immortal Master," the Fox Demon said, respectfully cupping his hands. "Please forgive my late-night intrusion. I apologize for disturbing you, Mister."

Chen Changsheng asked, "Is there an urgent matter?"

The Fox Demon immediately explained his purpose. "It is like this, Immortal Master. I recklessly trespassed here earlier and was apprehended by the underworld deputies. I suffered the punishment of the Soul Whip, and my soul has been restless and damaged ever since. I came to ask the Immortal Master for..."

Before he could finish, Chen Changsheng raised a hand.

The Fox Demon paused, bewildered.

Chen Changsheng summoned a willow leaf. With a tap of his finger, a glimmer of azure light sank into it.

"Give this leaf to your City God Lord," Chen Changsheng said. "Have him swallow it whole. It will cure the pain in his soul."

The Fox Demon froze. "How did the Immortal Master know—"

Chen Changsheng waved him off. "Go."

The Fox Demon hurriedly bowed, took two steps back, and dropped to his knees in a deep kowtow. "On behalf of the commoners in this ward and the demons in the mountains, I thank you, Immortal Master."

Chen Changsheng nodded without another word.

Cradling the willow leaf, the Fox Demon rushed back to the City God Temple.

He only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the City God Lord swallow it down.

After swallowing the willow leaf, the Badger Demon felt significantly better.

Although it did not fully heal him, the dull, lingering ache was gone, and the torment had ceased. At this rate, he would likely avoid any hidden injuries, having completely eradicated the root cause of the Soul Whip's agony.

The pain of the Soul Whip was no fleeting thing. It was a relentless burn, like fire searing the skin, leaving a torturous, lingering ache. A punishment from the Netherworld Bureau was nothing to take lightly.

The Badger Demon let out a long breath. "I am in no condition to go out right now. Please thank Mister Chen on my behalf."

The Fox Demon nodded. "Understood."

"Mm."

The Badger Demon finally lay down to rest.

He needed sleep.

Between the severity of his injuries and how long it had been since he last closed his eyes, a heavy wave of exhaustion had washed over him.

...

When morning came, everyone woke up—except for one.

Yu Hongjin was sprawled out on the floor, fast asleep. It wasn't until morning that Miss Yun found her and carried her to bed.

She was dead drunk, completely unresponsive to any attempts to wake her.

Even Lihua had woken up, but she remained dead to the world.

"She sneaked quite a bit of wine yesterday," Yunxiang sighed. "When Hongjin wakes up, I am going to have to teach her a proper lesson. That wretched girl is getting entirely out of hand."

Chen Changsheng chuckled. "When you look like that, Miss Yun, you really do have the air of a strict elder."

Yunxiang smiled helplessly. "How can you still tease me, Mister?"

"Just an observation," Chen Changsheng said.

Donglin Ward came alive early in the morning. Word had it that today was the day of the eastern market, so the locals were up before dawn, bustling down the streets with bamboo baskets on their backs.

The inn was also packed. According to Xiao Er, the crowd had arrived the night before—merchants and vendors rushing into town to sell their goods at the market.

They had originally planned to go out for a stroll, but Miss Yun was feeling a bit under the weather.

Chen Changsheng checked her pulse. "You likely caught a chill when we went into the mountains last night," he said.

After receiving a surge of his Magical Power, Miss Yun felt much better. However, her exhaustion remained, so she returned to her room to rest.

Chen Changsheng, meanwhile, returned to his own room and took out the box he had obtained the previous night.

Sealed inside was the soul of a malevolent ghost.

Only now did Chen Changsheng finally release it.

The moment the soul emerged, it violently lashed out, only to be instantly suppressed by a wave of Chen Changsheng's Magical Power. It immediately quieted down.

Now, Chen Changsheng could get a clear look at her.

Her face was covered in bloody lacerations, seemingly carved into her flesh by a small knife.

Were it not for those scars, she would have been a rather beautiful woman.

Her clothing was woven with threads of gold and silver—certainly not something an ordinary commoner could afford.

"Her three hun and six po are in complete disarray..."

Using his Spirit, Chen Changsheng gently untangled and restored her chaotic soul.

Before long, a hint of clarity returned to her gaze. As she looked around, her eyes filled with confusion.

"Where... where am I?"

"Who are you?"

"Where is The Prince?"